


At Last

by shirewalker



Series: alternative R+R ending [4]
Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Gen, anti mal jokes ahead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 11:44:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9723338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirewalker/pseuds/shirewalker
Summary: here it is, the not-much-awaited alarkling shot where alina gets her powers back!





	

 

 

The rooster made a sound that settled somewhere between a dying shrill and a whimper as it tried to crow. Emphasis on tried.

Aleksander made a disgusted face as the pitiful sound echoed through the hen house. The rooster was old and, according to Alina, had never been that successful with the ladies in the house. Well, successful when it came to making eggs. It was also useless when it came to acting like a normal rooster, seeing as it had never crowed properly in its entire life. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, Alina seemed decided to keep it around.

For all those reasons and the fact that the animal annoyed him beyond limit, Aleksander had started to call it ‘tracker’. Away from Alina’s ears of course.

Tracker crowed again, the sound more and more similar to a dying animal in embarrassing pain.

“Saints, why can’t you just drop dead, you awful waste of space?” he sneered as he moved from chicken to chicken, checking the birds and the eggs they’d laid. A basket hung from his arm, already half full of eggs. A chicken tried to peer inside. Aleksander batted it away, “No. Stay in your place.” The chicken made an offended sound and flew away, leaving the nest wide open for him to take the eggs. A pleased smirk formed on his lips, the chicken may be curious beyond repair, but at least it laid three eggs.

 

* * *

 

Aleksander had moved in only three weeks after that first night he’d spent with Alina. The invitation had come as the two were in the kitchen making breakfast together. Alina had been staring at her then small hen house for a long moment before she swerved her face in his direction and dropped the question in a fast, high-pitched voice, “Wouldyouliketocomelivewithme?!”

“I’m sorry, what?” he’d asked, blinking at her in confusion, the question barely understandable with how fast she’d let it out.

An adorable blush had tinged her cheeks with a dark shade of pink that reminded him of strawberries, and she’d turned away, mumbling an apology for making stupid questions. But Aleksander still wanted to know what she’d asked and so, he took the milk off the fire, put it on the table and walked to her. Seeing that Alina remained with her back to him, he held her waist and turned her around so he could look her in the eye. “Alina,” his voice was soft, “I didn’t really catch what you said. I can’t even think it’s a stupid question without knowing what it was.” She kept looking away. With a gentle hand, Aleksander touched her chin and lifted it, her brown eyes shining with unshed tears, “Are you crying?” why would she do that? Had he done something wrong?

She shook her head and wiped the tears away, “I’m sorry. I just… I thought you had heard me and you just didn’t want to do it…” she explained in a mumble.

“Do what?”

“Hum… Move in?” she said, her voice barely audible as she bit her lower lip. Oh, that. Aleksander’s mouth curled up in a half-smile before he captured her lips in a soft, chaste and toe-curling kiss that had her making low, delicious moans.

“I’d love to, Alina.” He’d finally answered after the two resurfaced from the kiss. Alina had smiled like the happiest kid in the world for the rest of the day. And before long, Aleksander had moved in with all his belongings. Including his chickens. Which prompted the two to build a better and bigger house for the needy birds.

 

* * *

 

The basket was finally full and Aleksander put it away in a safe shelf before turning to the oldest chickens to check on them. But before he could even glance at the birds, a pained cry came from the house and his blood turned to ice as the sound reverberated through his bones. Alina.

Not even a heartbeat later, Aleksander was rushing to the house, not even bothering with clothing the doors behind him, “Alina!” he called for her, worry blinding him as he searched for her, room by room. “Alina!” he screamed again. Where was she? Why wasn’t she answering him?!

“In here…” her faint answer came from her art room, deep in the house and Aleksander couldn’t help but feel both relief and worry. She’d answered, but she didn’t sound all right…

“Alina?” he burst into the room and his heart nearly jumped out his throat. Alina was lying on the floor, a hand holding her head as she moaned in pain. He kneeled next to her and pulled Alina to his embrace. Rubbing her arms he asked, “What happened? I heard you scream. Are you all right?”

Her hands trembled as she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, “I… I don’t know… I felt a sharp pain in my chest and then lost my balance… And I was sitting!” her voice was shaking as she answered and he kept on rubbing her arms, an action that felt unnecessary as she was the one warming him, not the other way around.

With furrowed brows, Aleksander pulled away just a bit so he could look down at her, “Alina? You’re hot… Are you… getting sick?” which was stupid. Grisha didn’t get sick. Sure, they weren’t Grisha anymore, but they weren’t mere mortals either. And in all the time he’d been with her, neither had ever gotten sick.

So… what was happening?

Alina shook her head, “No? I don’t think so. I just… feel… warm. I was just sitting here, sketching my new idea, when this happened.”

He looked up at the canvas and sure enough there were faint sketched lines on it. It looked like a group of people sitting together by a fire. Aleksander counted them and an image of Alina with her closest friends as they fought him, so many centuries ago, came to his mind. She had been at her prime then, ready to face him in battle, her powers stronger than ever, her will and companions unwavering. A good memory, he thought with a bitter smile.

A wild idea burst into life.

“Alina?”

“Yes?”

“Are you… happy?”

Now it was she who put some distance between the two, “What?”

“Happy? Are you?”

She nodded, “Yeah. But why do you ask?”

“Do you feel…? Hum… Better than before?”

“Before what?”

He bristled, at a loss for words, “Before! Just, do you feel like you used to… when you used your…” he paused and took a deep breath, “…your powers?”

She frowned at him, a flash of pain in her eyes, quickly gone the next second, “I… Maybe? It’s been…” she gulped and Aleksander felt terrible for making these questions, “It’s been so long. I can’t really remember… But…” she paused and bit her lip, eyes searching for something, “Maybe?” Alina finally looked up, with a hopeful shine in her eyes and an unspoken question on her lips.

Aleksander shrugged, “Try?”

Maybe they were fools to hope, but then again, here they were, immortal and still trying to figure out how.

Alina licked her lips once. Then, she held out a hand, palm up, and closed her eyes. Aleksander did the same, feeling a bit silly but also out of fear of being wrong.

 

* * *

 

She wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. But… Aleksander was still older than her, he still had much more time and experience with Grisha than her. So, she tried.

At first, it was as if she was brushing a hand against a seemingly dead beast. It wasn’t really cold, but it didn’t feel alive either. But she pushed on, the brush turning to a push. And then, just like that, unlike any past attempts, the dormant beast within her… woke up. She felt it, the warmth growing and spreading through her body, like warm water falling on her shoulders after a long, tiring day.

Then, she called.

A startled gasp left her lips as light erupted from her palm.

Light.

Her power.

Laughter, pure and unrestrained, bubbled up her throat as she let the light, _her_ light, illuminate the room and every corner and surface it could reach. She looked to Aleksander, his beautiful face aglow with her light. His mouth was agape, the corners softly tilted up as his grey eyes, like pure silver, looked from her hand to her. His smile grew and Alina had only a second to blink before he grabbed her face and kissed her lips. It was… a mess of a kiss, interrupted by laughter and broken questions, but no less of a kiss as any they had shared before.

Mixed with the warmth that always filled her when she and Aleksander kissed, was now a new, or rather, old warmth that came from her power, that piece of hers that had been missing for far, far too long.

She only wished her friends were still around to see this. The thought, so innocent, brought a bittersweet feeling.

Sensing a change in her mood, Aleksander broke the kiss and locked his gaze on hers, “What’s wrong?” he was worried. Saints, she smiled a bit brighter with just that.

“It’s… silly. Well, you’ll think it’s silly. But, I kind of wish my friends were still around to see this.” She finally said. Aleksander nodded, understanding what she meant.

“They were your friends, some… even more, I understand if you wish they could be here.”

“But you’re here!” she quickly added, realising how wrong her wish could sound, “At least… At least you’re still here. And that is just as important.” She grabbed his hands, lacing their fingers together, “I’m glad you’re here with me, Aleksander. So much.”

Aleksander couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips, “Me too, Alina.” Then he lowered himself until his lips were just a breath away from hers, “I love you, solnishka.” His breath warm on her lips.

Alina smiled, her eyes slowly fluttering close, “I love you too, Aleksander.”

And finally, they closed the distance and kissed.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> so, was it any good? did you squeal? go heck yeah over that loser of a rooster being called tracker?  
> also, don't forget to check the other fics in this series and the nikolina one shot with alina/powers: [Stargazing Sunshine](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9470348)


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